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Huo Wu's strategy to rely on Shui Bing-er was born of necessity; Ye Lan's "official" partners were simply too terrifying in strength. For an admirer without a formal title, trying to squeeze into Ye Lan's life was a challenge on par with a trial from hell.
Huo Wu refused to believe that their idol could resist a pincer attack from an "Ice and Fire" duo! After all, he wasn't a god—not yet. If he truly achieved godhood, she'd have to find a cathedral just to have a place to cry.
Gazing at the bashful Ice Beauty and the passionate Fire Beauty, Ye Lan's heart wavered. Since Huo Wu hadn't rejected Shui Bing-er, he couldn't very well say no. He took Bing-er's hand with his left and Huo Wu's with his right, leading them straight to the center of the stage.
Countless eyes focused on the blonde youth flanked by the two beauties. They were the most famous figures in the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and the onlookers couldn't help but sigh with envy: Beauty truly belongs to the strong, especially a strong man as handsome as Grandmaster Ye Lan.
Feeling the expectant gazes of the crowd and his two partners, Ye Lan activated "Exquisite Eight-Sided Heart," "Exquisite Seven-Aperture Heart," and "Consciousness Acceleration."
At a frequency of 6,400 times normal speed, he analyzed the movements of the best dancers in the room and initiated "Millimeter-Level Mimicry." Within ten seconds, he had mastered the "Social Dance" skill, refining it to an expert level at an alarming rate.
To the rhythm of the classical music, Ye Lan moved with effortless grace. The crowd watched in awe as he led two "novices" through a performance that looked like a master-class exhibition.
When the song ended, the banquet erupted in thunderous applause. Even without the daytime conference, this "Dance of Ice and Fire" was worth the thousand-mile journey to Heaven Dou City.
After the banquet, Ye Lan led his familiar peers to his private courtyard at the academy. Despite his departure for Spirit Hall, the academy had kept his residence reserved.
Inside, he got straight to the point: "Do any of you know about the Temple under the jurisdiction of Spirit Hall?"
Feng Xiao-tian asked curiously, "Idol, what is the Temple? A new organization within Spirit Hall?"
"The Temple is primarily responsible for supervising all subordinate Spirit Hall organizations—excluding the Pope's Palace, the Elder Palace, and the Douluo Palace. I am the current Master of this Temple."
Everyone looked at him in shock. They knew he was important—having been named the Holy Son as a Spirit Grandmaster—but they hadn't realized his status was this terrifying. Supervising all subordinate organizations made him essentially the "Second Pope."
"Captain! Does that mean the Temple is short on people?" Oslo asked, eyes gleaming.
Ye Lan nodded. "The Temple is in its infancy and is extremely short-staffed. My goal for this exchange, besides clarifying the theory of Artificial Rings, was to recruit help."
"Captain! I'm with you! Just don't make the entry requirements too high!" Oslo shouted, practically hugging Ye Lan's leg.
Ye Lan smiled. "If your talents aren't enough to enter the Temple, then there's no point in recruiting anyone. If I've called you here, it's because I want you all to join."
"Idol... can we really? We aren't Spirit Masters of Spirit Hall," Shui Bing-er murmured.
"The Temple is under my full authority. Once you join, you are Spirit Masters of Spirit Hall. I know some of you come from clans or sects. You must consider this carefully: once you join the Temple, there is no leaving."
Six people immediately stepped forward.
"Captain, there's nothing to think about! I'm bored of this academy anyway. You're my captain; I'm following you!" Oslo said decisively.
"After training with you, I understood the true essence of Spirits. By your side, even a Phoenix won't be my match!" Yu Feng added, dropping his usual lazy demeanor.
The Shi brothers echoed, "We owe our Fusion Ability to you. Under your guidance, we've become the strongest shields of our rank. Joining is our honor!"
Two other voices surprised Ye Lan: Shui Bing-er and Huo Wu.
"Idol, may I join?" Shui Bing-er asked seriously. She knew that if she missed this, she would drift further away from him. Even if the Temple were a cult, she would join just to be near him—let alone an organization with such real power.
"Idol, I'm in!" Huo Wu added, throwing a bold wink his way.
Ye Lan nodded firmly. "With me here, the Temple will become the force with the strongest individual combat capability in Douluo Continent. Bing-er, your talent ranks third among all women of our generation I know. Having you is the Temple's honor."
Shui Bing-er's heart skipped a beat. Third? "Who are the top two?"
"Gu Yue-na, the Young Master of the Myriad Beast Sect, and Qian Ren-xue, the Young Master of Spirit Hall."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Gu Yue-na's "Dark Gold" all-hundred-thousand-year configuration was legendary.
"Captain, is Qian Ren-xue... our Vice-Captain Xiao Xue?" Oslo asked.
"Yes. Xiao Xue is the Young Master of Spirit Hall and already a Spirit Douluo. She is also the Vice-Master of the Temple."
"I will work hard to catch up to them!" Shui Bing-er vowed.
Huo Wu-shuang and Feng Xiao-tian also stepped forward. "Since Huo Wu is in, we're in too," Wu-shuang said. Feng Xiao-tian, a rare innate full-spirit-power talent, knew that if he focused on his Spirit rather than his obsession with self-created skills, his potential was limitless.
Shui Yue-er leaned in, nearly pressing against Ye Lan's chest. "What about me, Idol? Do I make the cut?" Shui Bing-er, blushing, pulled her sister back. Ye Lan nodded with a smile. "Of course."
Yu Tian-heng looked apologetic. "Captain, I need to talk to Yu Tian-xin. You know our situation."
The two cousins stepped aside for a heated discussion. Soon, a beaming Yu Tian-heng and a dejected Yu Tian-xin returned.
"Captain, we've decided. Tian-xin will return to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect to inherit it. I am giving up my status as heir!" Yu Tian-heng laughed. It was as if the sect inheritance was a piece of trash they were both trying to dump on the other.
"Grandmaster Ye, I'm sorry," Yu Tian-xin sighed. "If I could beat Tian-heng, I'd be the one joining. But the sect needs an heir, so I'm stuck with it."
Ye Lan patted his shoulder. "If you ever face a problem you can't solve, come find me at the Temple."
With the group settled, Ye Lan detailed the five layers of the Temple:
Decision-making: The Master and Vice-Master.
Industry: Funding and unique specialized businesses.
Execution: The "Radiant Halls" (Hui Dian) in every major city to monitor local branches, with staff rotated every three years to prevent corruption.
Intelligence: The "Dark Hall" (An Dian). An invisible network consisting of "Crows" (informants like vendors, waiters, or maids) and "Foxes" (intermediaries). Only the Master and Vice-Master hold the files on their identities.
Combat: The "Royal Hall" (Wang Dian). This would consist of ten Primary Knights, ten Secondary Knights (candidates), and one hundred Knights.
"The Ten Primary Knights will be the face of the Temple," Ye Lan explained. "They represent our absolute martial might. I and the Vice-Master will also participate in the selection to ensure the 'Ten Knights' aren't just for show."
The group's eyes lit up. To be one of the Ten Great Knights of the Temple was a dream beyond imagination.
"Since you've chosen to join, I will teach you the prerequisite skills for the Royal Hall. But once you learn them, you are bound to the Temple for life. If anyone wants to leave, do it now."
No one moved. Their resolve was absolute.
"Very well," Ye Lan said, his voice grave. "I will teach you the Spirit Power Limit Attachment Method."
He had hesitated to teach the Spirit Body Adaptation Method—wishing to keep a competitive edge for his partner, Zhu Zhu-qing—but the Limit Attachment Method was essential. It allowed for near-perfect control of spirit power, reducing waste to zero and drastically increasing burst and endurance.
"This is why Ning Rong-rong and Ye Ling-ling, despite being auxiliary masters, are as fast as regular fighters. The training steps are as follows..."
(End of Chapter)